Restoring Eden describes the experience of Elizabeth Hilborn, environmental scientist and owner of a family fruit farm, as she traces the cause of diminishing yields and a lack of pollinators on her farm. She describes how the scientific evidence she collects from water samples reflected the increased use of agricultural chemicals in the region, polluting waterways and soils, and causing catastrophic declines in insect populations.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law explores a little-known source of plastic pollution: the deliberate addition to soils of pesticides and fertilisers encapsulated in microplastics. This form of agrochemical is often marketed as “controlled release”, with producers arguing that they support sustainable agriculture. The report argues that the intentional use of microplastics in agriculture should be banned on account of the potential for plastics - and the agrochemicals they carry - to accumulate in ecosystems and food supply chains.

This paper summarises what we know about the links between soil pollution and human health, with a focus on cardiovascular disease. The main issues it considers are macroplastics, microplastics, deforestation, pesticides, overfertilisation and heavy metal toxins.

Using satellite imagery, this paper characterises the impacts of nitrogen oxide pollution on crop growth - a relationship which has remained poorly understood until now. Consistently negative impacts of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) on crop greenness (which is correlated with growth and yield) were found across five major agricultural regions. The authors estimate that crop yields could be increased by reducing nitrogen dioxide pollution.

This book (publication date 30 October 2020), presents interdisciplinary insights on the controlled release of fertilisers, including chapters from researchers in the fields of agriculture, polymer science, and nanotechnology.